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ACCOUNTANCY IS NOT BORING (C.I.M.A. SURVEY) - accountant1 - 10-10-2006
10 OCTOBER 2006
ACCOUNTANCY IS NOT BORING SAY YOUNG PEOPLE IN NATIONAL SURVEY
Young People have a more positive image of accountancy and financial
management than many might have assumed, according to a national survey
conducted for CIMA (The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants).
The research by YouGov, carried out with almost 2,000 18 to 25
year-olds, revealed that 70 per cent of them refused to categorise a career in
accountancy as dull and boring. In addition, almost a third were
already working in this area, considering doing so, or would think about
taking jobs in it if they felt they had the necessary aptitude.
Charles Tilley, Chief Executive of CIMA, said "These findings are
highly encouraging and suggest todayâs young people are pretty savvy about
the reality of working as accountants in business. For management
accountants in particular, itâs far less about traditional number crunching
and far more about contributing to an organisationâs strategic
direction."
"Itâs clear many of those surveyed not only understand modern financial
management but find it attractive as a career option."
However, it appears that young people do not perceive the accountancy
profession quite as rewarding as it actually is. About a third of those
surveyed recognise it could be extremely rewarding financially and a
fifth agree it was often a stepping stone to very senior jobs.
This contrasts with the current industry figures which state that more
than a third of CIMA members earn more than £50,000 a year, with more
than five percent earning at least £100,000 per year.
In addition, almost 30 per cent are very senior professionals, with
almost ten per cent being chief executive officers or directors, including
managing directors. About 700 members are top managers in FTSE 350
companies.
More than 20 per cent of survey respondents said a grounding in
accountancy and financial management could open the door to other careers and
almost a third that it was an important and necessary aspect of
managing organisations. However this contrasts with the CIMA figures of
around 40 percent of CIMA members working outside core finance funtions,
indicating how a grounding in finance can indeed be a passport to other
careers.
Charles Tilley commented "Although these findings are encouraging for
those of us working to promote the advantages of careers in this area,
the survey does highlight that those surveyed are still comparatively
new to the world of work or perhaps have yet to become involved in it.
"It would be interesting to ask the same people these questions in ten
yearsâ time. I would imagine their answers would indicate an even
greater appreciation of the benefits careers in accountancy in business can
offer."
- ENDS -
For further information, please contact
Tim Curran/Charlotte Burton.
Ptarmigan Consultants
0113 242 1155
tim@ptarmiganpr.co.uk charlotte@ptarmiganpr.co.uk
or
Annette Heninger
Press Officer, CIMA
+44 (0) 20 8849 2427
annette.heninger@cimaglobal.com
Notes to Editors
1. CIMA (the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) is the only
international accountancy body with a sole focus on business. It is a
world leading professional institute that offers an internationally
recognised qualification in management accountancy, focusing on accounting
in business, in both the private and public sectors. It is the fastest
growing UK based accountancy body, in terms of members, in both the UK
and worldwide and is the voice of over 155,000 members and students in
158 countries. CIMA is responsible for the education and training of
management accountants who work in industry, commerce and not-for-profit
and has more members in the public sector than any other UK based body.
CIMA prides itself on the commercial relevance of its syllabus, which
is in tune with the activities of high performance organisations, and
evolves continually to reflect the latest developments in global
business. It is committed to upholding the highest ethical and professional
standards of members and students, and to maintaining public confidence
in management accountancy.
2. CIMA is the fastest-growing British-based accountancy body for
membership in the UK and Ireland and the only international organisation of
this type focused solely on business. In addition to more than 3,500 UK
members, CIMA has 2,500 students progressing towards its professional
qualification and more than 175 training partner organisations in
Yorkshire.
3. To find out more about CIMA, its qualifications, events and a career
in management accountancy, visit the website www.cimaglobal.com
4. Founded in May 2000, YouGov is a professional market research agency
pioneering the use of the Internet and information technology to
collect higher-quality in-depth data for market research and public
consultation. For more information visit www.yougov.com